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Topic: TAR 17 Media (Read 21134 times)

It's Saturday night, so it's time to check and see if my Mediacom DVR future recording schedule has information on the October 31st episode of TAR......and it surely does:"Run,Babushka, Run!" The Race continues in St. Petersburg, Russia.

Sure, it lost this year's Emmy to this show after a seven-year winning streak, but the around-the-world competition (videos) is as popular as ever. A painful-to-watch scene from this season is an Internet sensation.

Watch clips of the show.

There are a total of 1050 clips spread 20 per page across 51 pages. The feature AR13 through 17 plus a very few on Amazing Race Asia.

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

comment »Well before season 17 of The Amazing Race began, I talked to its host, Phil Keoghan about what I think is the series general decline over the past few seasons. (We also talked about why it isn’t in HD and its streak of Emmy wins, which of course was broken soon after that.)

While my suggestions for how the show should fix itself got enough feedback here and elsewhere to suggest that I’m not alone in thinking this, Phil seemed surprised by the suggestion. “That’s not good if you feel that way,” he told me. “I haven’t felt that personally. There’s an incredible team of people who work on the show, and the feedback that I get generally is that they just love how fresh and exciting it is, so I’m sorry that you’ve felt that way.” When I suggested the challenges now are a lot weaker, he said, simply, “wow.”

I mentioned that the show has become predictable, which is the worst possible thing for an adrenaline-fueled series like The Amazing Race, and he kind of conceded that point. “When a show has been on the air for a while, it definitely—you know, look, we’re making a reality television show. There’s a lot of things you can never predict.” Phil told me that at the beginning of the series, it felt “fresher just because you’re doing a lot of things for the first time. I think that’s one of the things we have to strive for. If you’re feeling like that, it’s our responsibility to try to make sure that we do keep it fresh, that we do make it feel for the viewer like it’s always changing up.”

When we talked, the Express Pass of Power was still a secret, but Phil said the new twist had “quite an impact on the teams throughout the race” and a “dramatic impact on the race.” Unless it is going to reappear, that is the opposite of what happened: it was a complete dud. (That he felt like it worked so well makes me think that either it played out differently in real life and the formula the editing now follows minimized the drama it caused, or he and I disagree about what “a dramatic impact” means.)

Phil also told me that “the changes that we made this season definitely helped. … What you’re saying, I really don’t feel like that about this particular season that we just shot. The teams are strong, the locations that we went are really strong. Hopefully, you’ll feel like if we got off track we’re back on track this season, because I felt like that.”

Alas, the answer is no: the train hasn’t yet derailed, but it’s dragging and sparks are flying. When I asked specifically about the shorter production schedule—the race seems to take fewer and fewer days to complete every subsequent season—and the way actual legs are very short and result in no pack movement at all, Phil said that this season’s “schedule was really brutal” because it had “a lot of overnight flights” which “really wears you out. Your rest is on a plane overnight.” But he added, “that’s actually was a good sign, because when we’re exhausted, we know they’re exhausted, and when it’s hard for us we know it’s hard for them, and that generally translates into exciting television.”

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

Amazing Race’s missing task: there never was a speed bump for Nick and VickiThe Amazing Race 17 » by Andy Dehnart / November 8, 2010, 8:06 AMcomment »The Amazing Race 17 has minor controversy on its hands, as last week’s episode ended in a non-elimination for Nick DeCarlo and Vicki Casciola, but the team didn’t complete the required punishment, a speed bump task, this episode.

The answer lies in last week’s episode: There never was a speed bump task. At the end of the episode, when Nick and Vicki arrive at the mat, Phil says, “This is a non-elimination leg and you will get to race another day.” That’s all he said.

Why didn’t he give them a task? Now comes speculation, because, annoyingly, the episode didn’t tell us, but it seems like they weren’t given an extra task probably because last week shouldn’t have even been a non-elimination leg—or if it actually was a pre-scheduled non-elimination leg, they were given a pass because of a production error. The rather ridiculous equalizer at the start of the leg plus the lack of start times in this week’s episode clearly suggests that production made sure that everyone was even at the beginning of this leg to compensate for a screw-up.

HitFix’s Dan Fienberg summarizes a theory from an IMDB message board discussion that says “Nick had posted on his personal Facebook page that in the Classical Music Detour in the previous leg, there’d been a judging error. Apparently they’d been giving a correct answer, but a judge had been telling them that they were wrong.”

Naturally, that person’s post is a summary of a summary of something someone else read. Why the hell can’t people, you know, include a link or quote from something they’ve read? It’s the Internet after all. Nick’s actual Facebook profile is locked down so his posts aren’t visible, and there is nothing of interest on their team Facebook page. Perhaps we’ll get more clarity later.

Why can't teams read?!? Any student of The Race knows that taking a taxicab when you are not supposed to is a classic blunder. It is even more shocking since Brook told Kevin they had made a mistake. When Kevin arrived at the tower, he asked Brook why they have their bags with them. Brook told Kevin that they were supposed to leave their cabs and walk. Instead of realizing their mistake, Michael and Kevin once again took a cab even though the clue said to walk.

So why can't teams read? They're exhausted and stressed out. Under these circumstances, even the best teams (see Brook and Claire) will make stupid mistakes. So I do not fault Kevin for failing to read the clues correctly. No one is perfect. Instead, I blame Michael. Michael seemed to have fallen into the role of doting father, happily following the lead of his son in every decision and task without question. As Michael and Kevin sat out their hour-long penalty, Kevin reread the clues and said, "Oh, I didn't even see that." Michael laughed and responded, "You didn't read it." That scene spoke volumes. The problem was not that Kevin "didn't read it." The problem was that Michael "didn't read it" either.

Brook and Claire make a similar mistake but recovered – thanks to Claire. Like Michael, Claire often follows Brook as she runs ahead. But unlike Michael, Claire quietly double-checks their decisions, reads the clues herself and makes sure Brook isn't leading them astray. Mistakes are inevitable, so it is unwise to expect one leader to always make the right decision. It takes two to win The Race.

Heee...if last season is anything to go by, they will post a pic of the location about 10 seconds after I find it...after weeks of searching.

« Last Edit: November 16, 2010, 08:20:17 PM by georgiapeach »

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"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

"You can be guaranteed that there’s one thing that comes into play in Los Angeles, right?" host and producer Phil Keoghan said in an interview. "Traffic. I’ll just say that. There’s a challenge that tweaks a few phobias for some of the teams. And there’s a few dramatic turns and twists and you’ll be doing a lot of second-guessing. You think you’ll have it all worked out and then it will turn another way. At the end of the day, the most deserving team wins and that’s the most important thing."

Keoghan, who was speaking from a top-secret location where he is filming the 18th season, said he was as excited about the success of the two all-women teams as viewers have been.

"I’ve really enjoyed watching Nat and Kat and Brook and Claire and the fact that we have these two all-female teams at the end of this race, it’s a wonderful dynamic to have for the final leg of the race," Keoghan said.

Brook, 27, and Claire, 30, of course, became world-famous before the show even premiered when CBS released a promo of Claire getting hit in the face with a watermelon during a challenge in the first leg. Claire wasn't down for nearly as long as you'd think she would be before Brook reminded her "This is 'The Amazing Race'" and the two unstoppable women were off.

"Not in a million years did we ever think that was going to happen," Keoghan said. "We test all of these challenges over and over and how she actually managed to have that watermelon come back into her face, I’m still baffled about the science behind how that all happened. How do you force something going one way and then miraculously turn it around to come right back? I have to be honest with you, I had no idea how impactful that was until I saw the footage when we got back. I had no idea how powerful that blow was. And the fact that they pulled themselves together and stuck to it and they're very, very, very determined."

Nat, 31, and Kat, 35, have impressed viewers with their unflappable natures. While some partners have been abusive toward their teammates -- Chad Waltrip and Nick DeCarlo, we're looking at you -- these two women have behaved admirably toward each other every step of the way.

"My daughters enjoyed watching them," Keoghan said. "They’re two very strong women, obviously very smart. To me, the best thing about 'The Amazing Race' has always been about being able to watch relationships that are strong, functional, and that actually are inspirational. "Of course, we’ve seen the other side of that. We’ve seen all kinds of relationships over the years that for some reason haven’t worked. When there’s a great connection, if you remember when the cowboys were on, or you think about the connection between Nat and Kat, when you see that kind of connection and how they operate under pressure, and we’re able to capture that with a camera and share that with an audience, I think that’s pretty cool."

After 17 seasons, Keoghan has developed an interesting theory about same-sex teams and why they tend to communicate better during the race. This season, viewers have noted on message boards and Twitter that the men have not treated the women in their lives well, especially Nick who berated his girlfriend, Vicki Casciola, mocked her, and eventually stopped helping her finish a challenge.

"It’s almost like a mid-football game mentality where some of the guys are playing a game of football with their guy friends and they forget that they’re actually out there with their girlfriends or wives or partners," he said. "They start yelling and screaming like they’re in the middle of a game. It’s always surprising to me.

"It always reminds me of the book 'Men are From Mars, Women From Venus' which outlines exactly the difference between men and women," he continued. "And I think male/female teams have more of a challenge on 'Race' than same-sex teams just because of that fact that when you’re communicating and trying to work together under pressure, men and women just are wired different. I'm into equal rights and everything, but at the end of the day, men and women are just different and the way that two men will talk to each other when they’re competing as opposed to, say, the way two women talk to each other, it’s so uniquely different."

Participants of the show, including Nick, often say in exit interviews that competing in the race changed their perspective on themselves and their relationships. Keoghan, who keeps in touch with many of the teams, says he believes whole-heartedly that the show provides "a life-changing experience."

"I’ve given up trying to work out what makes relationships work," Keoghan said. "I’ve looked at some relationships and I have no idea how the hell that relationship works, but it does. And it’s easy for all of us to stand from the outside, and pass judgment on why a relationship is flawed and you can’t believe why this couple is together or whatever.

"I admire all of them for putting themselves under a microscope for the period of time that they’re out there and knowing that we’re all standing back and looking at them under a microscope -- we’re looking at every move, everything they say, everything they do," he added. "Every physical gesture. They’re basically there for our entertainment for a period of time. But just as we’re watching it and passing judgment, they’re also pushing themselves and reacting in ways they never have before. Sometimes they do have that 'Oh man, I really need to do something about this behavior.' So I think it is actually a therapeutic experience for some people when they come on the show."

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

This is kind of surprising and a nice quote from this article. It is nice to hear that N/K got along so well with everyone:

Reality TV

World: Vicki, during your Elimination Station video you told the other eliminated teams that you were rooting for Nat and Kat to win. Why was that?

Vicki Casciola: You know what, I actually love all the teams and I wouldn't mind seeing any of them, but they were just very genuine people -- they were awesome. Nat -- them being doctors -- and Nat had diabetes and so she was struggling on the show as long as I was with asthma.

So she was kind of more so on my level, and she was just really kind spirited. All in all, I wouldn't mind seeing any of those teams get to first. They're all very strong and they're all awesome people, so...

Nick DeCarlo: ... I'd have to agree. The three that are left are really the teams that Vicki and I bonded with the most throughout the whole thing from day one to the last day we were racing. Nat and Kat were just awesome people -- we'll be friends with them forever. Jill and Thomas [are] just totally down to earth -- on the same page as Vicki and I -- just super cool people. And Brook and Claire, they're just clowns so...

Vicki Casciola: ... Yeah, they're awesome. They're just great to be around.

Nick DeCarlo: It's really -- we don't really have a favorite in the top three. I feel like the whole top three is our favorite. Either one would be fine for us for sure. They're all great people.

A post from someone who lives in Ghana and tracked down the people who appeared in the episodes. He makes some good points about the "giving something back" nonsense that normally can't be said without sounding like the Grinch.

Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan swears on his passport that season 17's finale, which airs Sunday on CBS, is chock full "memorable and very cool moments."

And that's saying a lot considering this season saw a contestant get a runaway watermelon to the face, an on-air proposal, the longest penalty and a team who slept through their pit stop departure time by more than two hours.

"It's hard to believe, but this is the first time in our series history that we've ended the race in Los Angeles. Nothing like maneuvering your way to the finish line through L.A. traffic," Keoghan told PEOPLE recently. "We have one challenge where teams literally have to face their fears and phobias in order to avoid choking with $1 million on the line."

And a bonus: "Look for a surprise appearance by one of the most famous game show hosts of all time," he says.

It's also the best chance in series history for an all-female team to be crowned the winner with two of the three remaining duos lacking a Y chromosome.

"I know the first person I would hear from is my daughter," he says. And while Keoghan understands why his daughter and viewers are thrilled at the possibility, the host reminds them not to put the cart in front of the horse. "As I keep telling her, the great thing about The Amazing Race is that it's a fair competition," he says. "You can't write the script."

Final Three

Not that he hasn't sized up the competition.

The doctors Nat Strand, 31, and Kat Chang, 35, "epitomize strong, independent, intelligent women." He feels their chosen career path both helps and hinders them. "Their experience in medicine helps them stay calm under pressure and make calculated decisions," says Keoghan. "[But] their calm demeanor could work against them when the race calls on them to operate at full speed."

The couple, hairstylist Jill Haney, 27, and ad sales director Thomas Wolfard, 30, "are a highly competitive team who isn't afraid to step over anyone or each other to win." But the couple's path to the finale has been anything but smooth. "When the pressure mounts, there is a disconnect that occurs that creates a rift and weakens their chances of running an efficient race."

Despite misreading a clue in the second-to-last leg and seemingly bickering with growing frequency, the Home Shopping hosts Brooke Roberts, 27, and Claire Champlin, 30, have run a strong almost error-free race. "These two finish each other's sentences," he says. "They're completely in sync," but he adds, "while they're a mental match, physically Brooke takes a leadership role and when it really matters most, they may not be able to meet each other's expectations."

"Our fans are pretty good. They don't give away too much. Sometimes people love dropping spoilers, but our fans are good. They tend to do it in such a way that doesn't ruin it for fans who don't want to know."--Phil Keoghan

Despite misreading a clue in the second-to-last leg and seemingly bickering with growing frequency, the Home Shopping hosts Brooke Roberts, 27, and Claire Champlin, 30, have run a strong almost error-free race. "These two finish each other's sentences," he says. "They're completely in sync," but he adds, "while they're a mental match, physically Brooke takes a leadership role and when it really matters most, they may not be able to meet each other's expectations."

NEW YORK – Gal-pal doctors Nat and Kat have crossed the finish line to win "The Amazing Race."

They have also made history, becoming the first two-woman team to claim the million-dollar grand prize in the 17 seasons of the CBS reality series.

Nat Strand, from Scottsdale, Ariz., and Kat Chang, from Santa Monica, Calif., were first to reach the Los Angeles destination on Sunday's finale.

Finishing in second place were a rival female duo, Brook Roberts, of San Diego, Calif., and Claire Champlin, of Reno, Nev., who are best friends and hosts on a home shopping network.

Coming in third were dating couple Jill Haney and Thomas Wolfard, who live in Marina Del Rey, Calif.

During the hour, the three teams had to bungee jump off a giant crane at the Port of Long Beach, decorate a float for the Tournament of Roses parade, and play a trivia contest with veteran game-show host Bob Eubanks.

The race ended on a terrace of Beverly Hills' Greystone Mansion.

The finalists covered four continents, 30 cities and 32,000 miles, "Amazing Race" host Phil Keoghan told Strand and Chang as he declared them the winners.

Speaking by phone from New York after the broadcast, Strand said, for her, one of the worst moments of the entire journey had been dropping from that crane on Sunday's episode.

But speaking of the race overall, she added, "I had no idea how hard it was going to be."

Even though she'd seen all the previous seasons, watching the show on TV left her unprepared for how challenging it would be as a contestant. She cited "the extreme fatigue, how hungry you get — I was surprised by how physically demanding it was."

Meanwhile, a big surprise for Chang were "the bonds that we made, not only with each other but even with the other racers. We were so lucky that the others were fantastic, and we got along."

Celebrating their victory, which was sealed at Greystone Mansion some six months ago, Chang said, "It still feels unreal. Having to keep it a secret until just a half-hour ago made it difficult for it to feel real. I could only share stories with Nat. We'd say to each other, 'Do you believe what we did?!'"

Personally, I think the memory task should not be a team task. I also don't think racers should be allowed to complete it with their notes. Now, let me be clear: I still think Nat and Kat would have won. I just think a tougher final task gives teams more of a chance to catch up, creates more drama for the leg and really requires the winning team to work for their victory.